Installment 2: Sometimes the Best Foods in Life...

...come from Lettuce Entertain You.

Okay, okay...I know.  I have a problem.  I cannot go more than a month without a Lettuce Entertain You meal.  What's that you say?  A twelve-step program?!?  You can't make me!  I can quit anytime I want!!  But why on earth would I want to?

There's this great place I know of where you can get Lettuce Entertain You food...and spend less than $10.

You read that correctly.

And there's five different locations throughout the city of Chicago.

I'll let that sink in.

Two words, lovies.  Wow Bao.  Steamed Asian buns filled with savory meats (and sweet stuff if you want it...my friend said the coconut is delicious).  I usually get the BBQ pork (sweet and savory), the Mongolian beef (a wee bit spicier than I remembered it, but delish), or the chicken teriyaki (how could you possibly go wrong with that?).  I wish I had a photo for you, but it had been a while since breakfast...as soon as I sat down I did my best makeshift Cookie Monster impression.  Bao instead of cookies.  I know, it's a powerful visual...

They cost less than two dollars apiece, and I know I can never eat more than two.  So we're coming in at just under five dollars.  You with me so far?  Now throw in the homemade ginger ale, $2.49, and you've got lunch.  Excellent.

There's one in Water Tower Place, and there's one underneath the Renaissance Hotel at the corner of State and Lake.  Beyond that, you can check their site.

After eating only campus food for way, way, way too long, the highlight of my week thus far has been sitting at the counter at Wow Bao with a friend, enjoying a good meal that was entirely worth what I paid for it.

~AF

Now That's What I Call Lunch! Quick Asian-inspired Veggies With Sticky Rice

Well, readers, I'm at it again.  Another Sunday gone by, a Sunday at home with only some vegetables and my own ingenuity to help whet my appetite.

Lucky for me, we happened to have just the right veggies for a great Asian-inspired stir fry of sorts.  Okay, maybe zucchini doesn't exactly scream Asia, but with the right flavors, you can kinda fudge it.

Asian flavors can vary, but a pretty safe way to go would be to combine garlic, chile, ginger, and lime.  I would also recommend adding in cilantro and onion, but for the recipe I made this weekend, I didn't have a plethora of ingredients to choose from.

Here we go!

For the veggies:

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized zucchini
• 3-4 mini sweet peppers (or 1 red bell, if you can't find them)
• 1 medium-sized garlic clove
• 1 lime
• 1/4 tsp. red chili flakes
• ~1/8 tsp. dried ginger
• 1/2-3/4 tsp. honey
• 1 Tsp. prepared teriyaki sauce (you can find this at the grocery store...if you don't have it, use 1 tsp of soy sauce)
• About 1 tsp. olive oil

Instructions

1.   Mince up the clove of garlic into very small pieces.  This is important!  It needs to be able to cook all the way so you don't get a big chunk of raw garlic.  Remember what I've said about warding off vampires?  Good.
2. Cut up the pepper into thick strips.  You want this a little chunky, so the pieces can be about a half inch wide.  Dice the zucchini into about 3/4-inch pieces and set aside.  This will go in last.
3. Put a frying pan over medium heat and let the oil heat up.  Add the garlic and allow it to cook just until it becomes fragrant, then add the peppers.  These need to cook a little longer than the zucchini; this way the peppers will get soft and sweet like you want them.  Allow them to cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers can be easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife.  (NOTE: If you do not stir, the garlic will burn.  Burned garlic is awful.  Please stir.)
4. Once the peppers are cooked enough, add the zucchini.  Add all of your seasoning except the lime, then stir.  This will allow the spices to bloom a little, bringing out their flavor, and the zucchini will soak up the flavors like a sponge.
5. When the zucchini is done, right before you plate the dish, cut the lime in half and juice one half into the veggies, stirring to combine.
6. Serve with sticky rice (below).  Serves 2.

For the sticky rice:

Ingredients: 

• Your favorite white rice, enough to make 2 servings.
• ~1 Tsp. rice vinegar

Instructions:

1. Prepare the rice according to package directions.
2. While the rice is still hot, sprinkle the vinegar over the top of it, then stir well to distribute.  This should make the starches in the rice sticky.

Happy Cooking!

~AF